Surah al-Hadid, Chapter 57
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ
In the Name of God the Compassionate, the Merciful
Verses 1 – 10
سَبَّحَ لِلَّهِ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِۖ
وَهُوَ الْعَزِيزُ الْحَكِيمُ {1}
1. Whatever is in the heavens and the earth glorifies God. He is Mighty and Wise.
لَهُ مُلْكُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِۖ
يُحْيِي وَيُمِيتُۖ
وَهُوَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ {2}
2. His is the kingdom of the heavens and the earth. He it is a life-giver and death-giver and He is Omnipotent.
هُوَ الْأَوَّلُ وَالْآخِرُ وَالظَّاهِرُ وَالْبَاطِنُۖ
وَهُوَ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عَلِيمٌ {3}
3. He It is the Eternal and the Surviving (after everything is extinct). He is all evident (as producer of effects in creation, which points to Him as a Prime Mover) and He is invisible (physically and mentally).
هُوَ الَّذِي خَلَقَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ فِي سِتَّةِ أَيَّامٍ ثُمَّ اسْتَوَىٰ عَلَى الْعَرْشِۚ
يَعْلَمُ مَا يَلِجُ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَمَا يَخْرُجُ مِنْهَا وَمَا يَنْزِلُ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ وَمَا يَعْرُجُ فِيهَاۖ
وَهُوَ مَعَكُمْ أَيْنَ مَا كُنْتُمْۚ
وَاللَّهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ بَصِيرٌ {4}
4. It is He Who created Heaven and Earth in six days and then directed to energize them, knows what enters the earth and knows what emerges out of it, and pours from the clouds (as an angel accompanies every drop of it, to guard against its misplacement. How can man be left without an infallible guide? He it is with you wherever you are (indispensable to you) and watches your acts.
لَهُ مُلْكُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِۚ
وَإِلَى اللَّهِ تُرْجَعُ الْأُمُورُ {5}
5. For Him is the kingdom of the heavens and earth (to administer and preserve) and to Him shall revert all affairs.
يُولِجُ اللَّيْلَ فِي النَّهَارِ وَيُولِجُ النَّهَارَ فِي اللَّيْلِۚ
وَهُوَ عَلِيمٌ بِذَاتِ الصُّدُورِ {6}
6. Enters night into day and vice versa and knows what is hidden in (human hearts).
آمِنُوا بِاللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ وَأَنْفِقُوا مِمَّا جَعَلَكُمْ مُسْتَخْلَفِينَ فِيهِۖ
فَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا مِنْكُمْ وَأَنْفَقُوا لَهُمْ أَجْرٌ كَبِيرٌ {7}
7. Believe in God and His Prophet and spend from whatever He has endowed upon you to inherit it (in Eternity). For those who embraced faith and spent in His name there is a mighty reward.
وَمَا لَكُمْ لَا تُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِۙ
وَالرَّسُولُ يَدْعُوكُمْ لِتُؤْمِنُوا بِرَبِّكُمْ وَقَدْ أَخَذَ مِيثَاقَكُمْ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ مُؤْمِنِينَ {8}
8. What’s up with you? You do not believe in God while the Prophet has been inviting you to believe in your Providence, when He has exacted a promise from (to that effect, on endowment of reason) if you are faithful.
هُوَ الَّذِي يُنَزِّلُ عَلَىٰ عَبْدِهِ آيَاتٍ بَيِّنَاتٍ لِيُخْرِجَكُمْ مِنَ الظُّلُمَاتِ إِلَى النُّورِۚ
وَإِنَّ اللَّهَ بِكُمْ لَرَءُوفٌ رَحِيمٌ {9}
9. It is He who sends to His devoted creatures open commands to bring out into light from darkness (association, etc.), and verily God is Forbearing and Merciful.
وَمَا لَكُمْ أَلَّا تُنْفِقُوا فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ وَلِلَّهِ مِيرَاثُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِۚ
لَا يَسْتَوِي مِنْكُمْ مَنْ أَنْفَقَ مِنْ قَبْلِ الْفَتْحِ وَقَاتَلَۚ
أُولَٰئِكَ أَعْظَمُ دَرَجَةً مِنَ الَّذِينَ أَنْفَقُوا مِنْ بَعْدُ وَقَاتَلُواۚ
وَكُلًّا وَعَدَ اللَّهُ الْحُسْنَىٰۚ
وَاللَّهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ خَبِيرٌ {10}
10. What is up with you, you do not spend in His name although what is in the heavens and earth is His inheritance amongst you, those who spent before conquest of Mecca and participated in crusades are not at the same level as those who followed. Former have highest grades, then those who followed, and fought, although He has promised paradise for all, and God is acquainted with your deeds.
Moral
1. If you are reasonable, you must agree there is an object behind human creation. Further there is a Prophet, a divine messenger Divine taught, inviting you thereto, with a book of guidance to support his claims. This should force you to give him hearing which will bring you out from your present misguidance.
2. To equalize and establish justice, he who visits the eighth Divine Light shall be similarly graded, as those who acted righteously before conquest of Mecca.
Verses 11 – 19
مَنْ ذَا الَّذِي يُقْرِضُ اللَّهَ قَرْضًا حَسَنًا فَيُضَاعِفَهُ لَهُ وَلَهُ أَجْرٌ كَرِيمٌ {11}
11. Who amongst you are ready to advance a loan in His name when He can increase it several times, and which may be useful to you (on Reckoning Day)?
يَوْمَ تَرَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَالْمُؤْمِنَاتِ يَسْعَىٰ نُورُهُمْ بَيْنَ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَبِأَيْمَانِهِمْ بُشْرَاكُمُ الْيَوْمَ جَنَّاتٌ تَجْرِي مِنْ تَحْتِهَا الْأَنْهَارُ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَاۚ
ذَٰلِكَ هُوَ الْفَوْزُ الْعَظِيمُ {12}
12. On that day you will notice Divine Lights leading faithful men ad women hurriedly, being in front and right, and they will be giving tidings of paradise for the day and underneath which flow streams and wherein they will reside and this is a great achievement.
يَوْمَ يَقُولُ الْمُنَافِقُونَ وَالْمُنَافِقَاتُ لِلَّذِينَ آمَنُوا انْظُرُونَا نَقْتَبِسْ مِنْ نُورِكُمْ قِيلَ ارْجِعُوا وَرَاءَكُمْ فَالْتَمِسُوا نُورًا فَضُرِبَ بَيْنَهُمْ بِسُورٍ لَهُ بَابٌ بَاطِنُهُ فِيهِ الرَّحْمَةُ وَظَاهِرُهُ مِنْ قِبَلِهِ الْعَذَابُ {13}
13. On this day, the hypocrites (men and women) will address them to await their arrival, to avail of benefit f their guide when they will be replied to seek some other guide, and partition will be thrown across between the two parties with a door, inside of which will have Divine Mercy and outside it Divine Wrath.
يُنَادُونَهُمْ أَلَمْ نَكُنْ مَعَكُمْۖ
قَالُوا بَلَىٰ وَلَٰكِنَّكُمْ فَتَنْتُمْ أَنْفُسَكُمْ وَتَرَبَّصْتُمْ وَارْتَبْتُمْ وَغَرَّتْكُمُ الْأَمَانِيُّ حَتَّىٰ جَاءَ أَمْرُ اللَّهِ وَغَرَّكُمْ بِاللَّهِ الْغَرُورُ {14}
14. The hypocrites will speak to their faithful, “Were we not with you?” They will say, “Certainly, but you led yourself to temptation and were awaiting downcast of calamities on us, and were doubtful (of our piety and avoiding worldly pleasures) and you were deceived by your desires until Judgment Day approached and the devil misled you (saying He is highly Merciful and will forgive all). Life is long and do not give up its pleasures.
فَالْيَوْمَ لَا يُؤْخَذُ مِنْكُمْ فِدْيَةٌ وَلَا مِنَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواۚ
مَأْوَاكُمُ النَّارُۖ
هِيَ مَوْلَاكُمْۖ
وَبِئْسَ الْمَصِيرُ {15}
15. So today no compensation will be admitted to save you and for infidels too. Destination of both of you is hell. He is your Lord and evil is your retreat.
أَلَمْ يَأْنِ لِلَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَنْ تَخْشَعَ قُلُوبُهُمْ لِذِكْرِ اللَّهِ وَمَا نَزَلَ مِنَ الْحَقِّ وَلَا يَكُونُوا كَالَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتَابَ مِنْ قَبْلُ فَطَالَ عَلَيْهِمُ الْأَمَدُ فَقَسَتْ قُلُوبُهُمْۖ
وَكَثِيرٌ مِنْهُمْ فَاسِقُونَ {16}
16. What! Is not yet time come for the faithful in which their hearts should shudder and soften, out of Divine remembrance (of hell) and what is truly revealed unto them from God, and they should not be alike those who were given text heretofore, a long time intervened over their heads, hardening their hearts when most of them were transgressors.
اعْلَمُوا أَنَّ اللَّهَ يُحْيِي الْأَرْضَ بَعْدَ مَوْتِهَاۚ
قَدْ بَيَّنَّا لَكُمُ الْآيَاتِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَعْقِلُونَ {17}
17. Know (definitely God shall enliven the earth after it perishes and We have openly described Our commands for you so you may realize facts.
إِنَّ الْمُصَّدِّقِينَ وَالْمُصَّدِّقَاتِ وَأَقْرَضُوا اللَّهَ قَرْضًا حَسَنًا يُضَاعَفُ لَهُمْ وَلَهُمْ أَجْرٌ كَرِيمٌ {18}
18. Alms givers, both men and women, who give a generous loan to God shall have it multiplied and shall have an honourable reward.
وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا بِاللَّهِ وَرُسُلِهِ أُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الصِّدِّيقُونَۖ
وَالشُّهَدَاءُ عِنْدَ رَبِّهِمْ لَهُمْ أَجْرُهُمْ وَنُورُهُمْۖ
وَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا وَكَذَّبُوا بِآيَاتِنَا أُولَٰئِكَ أَصْحَابُ الْجَحِيمِ {19}
19. Those who embrace faith in God and His Prophet, are martyrs before their Providence and have verified Our unique monarchy and carried out advice of Divine Lights, facing tyranny of their enemies and their inner foe, under fortitude, for Divine Will in praying, fasting, aid discharging religious obligations. For them is reward, and those who have refused and falsified Our commands, they are residents of hell.
Moral
Sixth Divine Light remarked on this account, our true Shias are martyrs, whether they in die in bed of on the battlefield.
Verses 20 – 25
اعْلَمُوا أَنَّمَا الْحَيَاةُ الدُّنْيَا لَعِبٌ وَلَهْوٌ وَزِينَةٌ وَتَفَاخُرٌ بَيْنَكُمْ وَتَكَاثُرٌ فِي الْأَمْوَالِ وَالْأَوْلَادِۖ
كَمَثَلِ غَيْثٍ أَعْجَبَ الْكُفَّارَ نَبَاتُهُ ثُمَّ يَهِيجُ فَتَرَاهُ مُصْفَرًّا ثُمَّ يَكُونُ حُطَامًاۖ
وَفِي الْآخِرَةِ عَذَابٌ شَدِيدٌ وَمَغْفِرَةٌ مِنَ اللَّهِ وَرِضْوَانٌۚ
وَمَا الْحَيَاةُ الدُّنْيَا إِلَّا مَتَاعُ الْغُرُورِ {20}
20. Know definitely, worldly life is limited to six stages: sports, amusements, decoration, vanity, accumulation property, and excesses of children, alike rain, with which growing vegetation surprised the infidels, and when it dries up, it turns yellow, fit for (simple) consumption and in eternity, is an intense punishment (for its being ill-spent) and there is forgiveness for the sinful on penance from God and His will besides (for seekers thereof) and worldly life is nothing but an accumulation of the deceptive transitory forms (be it pleasure in association, in revelation of evil and unjustifiable deeds).
سَابِقُوا إِلَىٰ مَغْفِرَةٍ مِنْ رَبِّكُمْ وَجَنَّةٍ عَرْضُهَا كَعَرْضِ السَّمَاءِ وَالْأَرْضِ أُعِدَّتْ لِلَّذِينَ آمَنُوا بِاللَّهِ وَرُسُلِهِۚ
ذَٰلِكَ فَضْلُ اللَّهِ يُؤْتِيهِ مَنْ يَشَاءُۚ
وَاللَّهُ ذُو الْفَضْلِ الْعَظِيمِ {21}
21. You take a forward step by seeking forgiveness of sins, by penance, and seek paradise by righteous deeds, width thereof equals the heavens and earth and which is reserved for those believing in earth, and which is reserved for those, believing in God and the Prophet. This Divine grace being endowed on whomever He chooses, ad God is Mighty and Gracious.
مَا أَصَابَ مِنْ مُصِيبَةٍ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَلَا فِي أَنْفُسِكُمْ إِلَّا فِي كِتَابٍ مِنْ قَبْلِ أَنْ نَبْرَأَهَاۚ
إِنَّ ذَٰلِكَ عَلَى اللَّهِ يَسِيرٌ {22}
22. Whatever calamity befalls you (in loss of life, property and children, is but on the original record) before creation and certainly this is easy for God (being Omnipotent and Omniscient).
لِكَيْلَا تَأْسَوْا عَلَىٰ مَا فَاتَكُمْ وَلَا تَفْرَحُوا بِمَا آتَاكُمْۗ
وَاللَّهُ لَا يُحِبُّ كُلَّ مُخْتَالٍ فَخُورٍ {23}
23. So you may not feel sorry (for its loss) and be not delighted (for what is endowed upon you) and God does not approve of a proud miser,
الَّذِينَ يَبْخَلُونَ وَيَأْمُرُونَ النَّاسَ بِالْبُخْلِۗ
وَمَنْ يَتَوَلَّ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ هُوَ الْغَنِيُّ الْحَمِيدُ {24}
24. who acts miserly and advises others likewise. Verily God is indifferent to him who turns away from Him.
لَقَدْ أَرْسَلْنَا رُسُلَنَا بِالْبَيِّنَاتِ وَأَنْزَلْنَا مَعَهُمُ الْكِتَابَ وَالْمِيزَانَ لِيَقُومَ النَّاسُ بِالْقِسْطِۖ
وَأَنْزَلْنَا الْحَدِيدَ فِيهِ بَأْسٌ شَدِيدٌ وَمَنَافِعُ لِلنَّاسِ وَلِيَعْلَمَ اللَّهُ مَنْ يَنْصُرُهُ وَرُسُلَهُ بِالْغَيْبِۚ
إِنَّ اللَّهَ قَوِيٌّ عَزِيزٌ {25}
25. Verily did We send Our Prophets with proofs and We sent with them text, scale pan
and profit in making (tools and machinery for industry) so god may see who helps Him mysteriously (by following Divine Lights) and verily God is Omnipotent (to punish the transgressors).
Moral
1. Average age for sports is of a school going child where necessary exercise for body building is religiously permissible, without ruining character.
2. Then comes an age of married life wherein man is deceived by attending dances, cinemas, clubs etc. (both morally and religiously condemned).
3. Then come the age of decoration where time and money are spent in frailty (on vanity).
4. Then follows middle age for winning power and pelf (by involving in politics.
5. Then a desire to pass on the inheritance to perpetuate name and property.
These can be compensated by training children on religious grounds, study of scientific subjects to keep the mind healthy, by pilgrimage and study of religious jurisprudence, and creation of trust (any excess of wealth) instead of leaving it in the hands of those about whose spending, as per Divine Commands, you are not confident.
The world is a dream within a dream, and as we grow older, each state is an awakening, the youth awakes as they think from childhood, then full grown despises the pursuits of youth as visionary, and the old looks down upon humanity as feverish dreams. Death the last sleep! No, it is the last and final awakening (so far as deeds are concerned).
Pleasure and pain may be physical, mental, and spiritual may be true or false having respective effect according to the purpose for which they are courted.
Life of Divine Lights courting loss of honour, life, and property simply to win Divine will to maintain Islam are of the highest grade, brought into play, for the public to emulate. Similarly, mind and body both can be regulated to yield eternal fruits, after necessary requirements for the worldly life are achieved.
Verses 26 – 29
وَلَقَدْ أَرْسَلْنَا نُوحًا وَإِبْرَاهِيمَ وَجَعَلْنَا فِي ذُرِّيَّتِهِمَا النُّبُوَّةَ وَالْكِتَابَۖ
فَمِنْهُمْ مُهْتَدٍۖ
وَكَثِيرٌ مِنْهُمْ فَاسِقُونَ {26}
26. Verily did We send Noah, Abraham, and entrusted prophetship in their family and texts, and from among them some stuck to guidance and others proved disobedient.
ثُمَّ قَفَّيْنَا عَلَىٰ آثَارِهِمْ بِرُسُلِنَا وَقَفَّيْنَا بِعِيسَى ابْنِ مَرْيَمَ وَآتَيْنَاهُ الْإِنْجِيلَ وَجَعَلْنَا فِي قُلُوبِ الَّذِينَ اتَّبَعُوهُ رَأْفَةً وَرَحْمَةً وَرَهْبَانِيَّةً ابْتَدَعُوهَا مَا كَتَبْنَاهَا عَلَيْهِمْ إِلَّا ابْتِغَاءَ رِضْوَانِ اللَّهِ فَمَا رَعَوْهَا حَقَّ رِعَايَتِهَاۖ
فَآتَيْنَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا مِنْهُمْ أَجْرَهُمْۖ
وَكَثِيرٌ مِنْهُمْ فَاسِقُونَ {27}
27. Then in succession to them We sent Prophets and Jesus son of Mary, giving him the Bible and created in the hearts of those who followed him, obligation and kind heartedness and they adopted monasticism, which We had not made obligatory, but they did so, to win Divine Will without making due allowance needed there (in believing in our prophet as presaged by Jesus). So We rewarded the faithful of them and most of them being disobedient.
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَآمِنُوا بِرَسُولِهِ يُؤْتِكُمْ كِفْلَيْنِ مِنْ رَحْمَتِهِ وَيَجْعَلْ لَكُمْ نُورًا تَمْشُونَ بِهِ وَيَغْفِرْ لَكُمْۚ
وَاللَّهُ غَفُورٌ رَحِيمٌ {28}
28. Oh you faithful, fear God and believe in His Prophet, so He may endow upon you two parts of His mercy
and forgive your sins. Verily God is Forgiving and Merciful.
لِئَلَّا يَعْلَمَ أَهْلُ الْكِتَابِ أَلَّا يَقْدِرُونَ عَلَىٰ شَيْءٍ مِنْ فَضْلِ اللَّهِۙ
وَأَنَّ الْفَضْلَ بِيَدِ اللَّهِ يُؤْتِيهِ مَنْ يَشَاءُۚ
وَاللَّهُ ذُو الْفَضْلِ الْعَظِيمِ {29}
29. When book of records shall be handed over in hands, right or left, when acts are being estimated on the bridge over hell, so men of revealed religions (Jews and Christians) may realize they hold no influence over anything in matters relating to Divine Grace, for verily latter rests entirely with God, who grants whom He likes being Lord of Mighty Grace.
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Author: Ali Muhammad Fazil Chinoy
